Autonomous winter solar panel

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an autonomous solar panel for use in winter conditions. The panel includes at least one energy transfer member associated with the solar panel. A sensor is in communication with the energy transfer member. A power supply is connected to the energy transfer member. A network interconnects the energy transfer member, the sensor, and the power supply, and is configured so that when the sensor senses an accumulation of winter precipitation on the solar panel, a portion of stored power in the power supply activates the energy transfer member and the winter precipitation is removed from the solar panel.

1 . An autonomous solar panel for use in winter conditions, the panel comprising:
 at least one energy transfer member associated with the solar panel;   at least one sensor in communication with the energy transfer member;   a power supply connected to the energy transfer member; and   a network interconnecting the energy transfer member, the sensor, and the power supply, the network being configured such that in response to the sensor sensing an accumulation of winter precipitation on the solar panel, a portion of stored power in the power supply activates the energy transfer member so as to remove the winter precipitation from the solar panel.   
     
     
         2 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the solar panel includes a solar panel cover, the energy transfer member is a heater which is embedded within the solar panel cover. 
     
     
         3 . The solar panel, according to  claim 2 , in which the heater is a serpentine heating wire which is disposed substantially across the entire solar panel cover. 
     
     
         4 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the network includes a heater switch connecting the power supply to the sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The solar panel, according to  claim 4 , in which the network includes a controller connecting the sensor to the heater switch. 
     
     
         6 . The solar panel, according to  claim 4 , in which the power supply is a battery. 
     
     
         7 . The solar panel, according to  claim 6 , in which the network includes a charger connecting the solar panel to the battery. 
     
     
         8 . The solar panel, according to  claim 7 , in which a load switch connects to the charger. 
     
     
         9 . The solar panel, according to  claim 8 , in which a user load connects to the load switch. 
     
     
         10 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , includes a winter precipitation sensor and a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The solar panel, according to  claim 10 , in which the solar panel includes a solar panel cover and a solar panel voltaic array, and the temperature sensor sandwiched therebetween, the controller connects to the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The solar panel, according to  claim 9 , in which the network includes a user heater voltage supply that connects to the load switch. 
     
     
         13 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the network includes a user load connecting a controller to a solar panel voltaic array of the solar panel. 
     
     
         14 . The solar panel, according to  claim 5 , in which the network includes a supplemental heater switch connecting the controller to a heater supplement supply. 
     
     
         15 . The solar panel, according to  claim 5 , in which the network includes a remote display connected to the controller. 
     
     
         16 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the energy transfer member includes at least one vibration assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The solar panel, according to  claim 16 , in which the solar panel includes a solar panel cover and a solar panel voltaic array, and the vibration assembly being sandwiched therebetween. 
     
     
         18 . The solar panel, according to  claim 16 , in which the vibration assembly is located at the periphery of the solar panel. 
     
     
         19 . The solar panel, according to  claim 16 , includes four vibration assemblies, two of which are spaced apart and located at a top edge of the solar panel, the other two being spaced apart and located at a bottom edge of the solar panel. 
     
     
         20 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the network is configured such that in response to the sensor sensing the accumulation of winter precipitation on the solar panel, the portion of stored power in the power supply activates the vibration assembly to vibrate the solar panel so as to remove the winter precipitation therefrom. 
     
     
         21 . The solar panel, according to  claim 16 , in which the vibration assembly is a vertical vibration assembly and includes a vertical vibration actuator, a vertical vibration plunger, and a resilient vibrator lever connected to the solar panel cover. 
     
     
         22 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the network includes a vibrator switch connecting a controller to a voltage supply to activate the vibration actuator. 
     
     
         23 . The solar panel, according to  claim 16 , in which the vibration assembly is a horizontal vibration assembly and includes a vibration actuator, a vibration plunger, a cam lever, and a resilient vibrator lever connected to the solar panel cover. 
     
     
         24 . The solar panel, according to  claim 23 , in which the network includes a vibrator switch connecting a controller to a voltage supply to activate the vibration actuator. 
     
     
         25 . The solar panel, according to  claim 11 , in which a frame holds together the solar panel cover and the solar panel voltaic array. 
     
     
         26 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the solar panel further includes a solar panel frame heater. 
     
     
         27 . The solar panel, according to  claim 26 , in which the frame heater includes a plurality of heater elements connected to a frame heater switch, the heater elements extending substantially along the bottom of the frame. 
     
     
         28 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the power supply includes a plurality of batteries located between the underside of the solar panel and a panel tilt mount on which the solar panel and batteries are mounted. 
     
     
         29 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the power supply includes a plurality of batteries located in or the side of a vertical post or on the side thereof connected to a panel tilt mount on which the solar panel is mounted. 
     
     
         30 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the power supply includes a plurality of batteries located between the underside of the solar panel and a frame mount on which the solar panel is mounted. 
     
     
         31 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the power supply includes a plurality of batteries located separately from the solar panel. 
     
     
         32 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the power supply includes a plurality of batteries located between the underside of the solar panel and a roof mount on which the solar panel is mounted. 
     
     
         33 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1  in which the sensor includes one or more light emitting devices which illuminate the solar panel upper outer surface and a light sensing device which senses the reflection caused winter precipitation. 
     
     
         34 . The solar panel, according to  claim 2 , in which a temperature sensor is located on the inner surface of the solar panel cover to determine when winter precipitation is possible and to determine when the panel cover has been adequately heated. 
     
     
         35 . An autonomous solar panel for use in winter conditions, the panel comprising:
 a heater element associated with the solar panel;   at least one sensor in communication with the heater element;   a power supply connected to the heater element; and   a network interconnecting the heater element, the sensor, and the power supply, the network being configured such that in response to the sensor sensing an accumulation of winter precipitation on the solar panel, a portion of stored power in the power supply activates the heater element so as to heat the solar panel to remove the winter precipitation therefrom.   
     
     
         36 . An autonomous solar panel for use in winter conditions, the panel comprising:
 a vibration assembly associated with the solar panel;   at least one sensor in communication with vibration assembly;   a power supply connected to the vibration assembly; and   a network interconnecting the vibration assembly, the sensor, and the power supply, the network being configured such that in response to the sensor sensing an accumulation of winter precipitation on the solar panel, a portion of stored power in the power supply activates the vibration assembly so as to vibrate the solar panel to remove the winter precipitation therefrom.   
     
     
         37 . An autonomous solar panel for use in winter conditions, the panel comprising:
 a combination of a heater element and vibration assembly associated with the solar panel;   at least one sensor in communication with the heater element and vibration assembly;   a power supply connected to the heater element and vibration assembly; and   a network interconnecting the heater element, the vibration assembly, the sensor, and the power supply, the network being configured such that in response to the sensor sensing an accumulation of winter precipitation on the solar panel, a portion of stored power in the power supply activates the heater element and vibration assembly so as to heat and vibrate the solar panel to remove the winter precipitation therefrom.   
     
     
         38 . An autonomous solar panel cleaning system for use in winter conditions, the panel comprising:
 a controller;   at least one energy transfer member associated with the solar panel;   at least one sensor in communication with the energy transfer member;   a power supply connected to the energy transfer member; and   a network interconnecting the controller, the energy transfer member, the sensor, the power supply, the network being configured such that in response to the sensor sensing an accumulation of winter precipitation on the solar panel, a portion of stored power in the power supply activates the energy transfer member so as to remove the winter precipitation from the solar panel.   
     
     
         39 . An autonomous solar panel system for use in winter conditions, the system comprising:
 a master solar panel having an master energy transfer member associated therewith;   a plurality of slave solar panels, each panel having a slave energy transfer member associated therewith;   at least one sensor in communication with the master solar panel;   a master controller connected to the master solar panel;   a plurality of slave controllers, each slave controller being connected to the respective slave solar panels;   a power supply connected to each of the master and the slave energy transfer members; and   a network interconnecting the energy transfer members, the sensor, the power supply, the network being configured such that in response to the sensor sensing an accumulation of winter precipitation on the master solar panel, a portion of stored power in the power supply activates the master and the slave energy transfer members so as to remove the winter precipitation from the master and the slave solar panels.   
     
     
         40 . A circuit comprising:
 a solar panel;   at least one energy transfer member associated with the solar panel;   at least one sensor in communication the energy transfer member;   a power supply connected to the energy transfer member; and   a network interconnecting the energy transfer member, the sensor, and the power supply, the network being configured such that in response to the sensor sensing an accumulation of winter precipitation on the solar panel, a portion of stored power in the power supply activates the energy transfer member so as to remove winter precipitation from the solar panel.   
     
     
         41 - 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , for use with a pipeline carrying a fluid energy source. 
     
     
         47 . The solar panel, according to  claim 46 , in which the pipeline includes a pipeline fluid spill monitoring device and system. 
     
     
         48 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , is integrated into conventional and non-conventional building materials including: plastic, composite, polycarbonate, or petroleum based solar cells, the materials being superimposed, sprayed, or painted on surfaces or woven into fabric. 
     
     
         49 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , for use with a roadside and highway emergency notification device and system. 
     
     
         50 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the network is configured such that in response to the sensor sensing the accumulation of dust or other material on the solar panel, the portion of stored power in the power supply activates the vibration assembly to vibrate the solar panel so as to remove the material therefrom. 
     
     
         51 . The solar panel, according to  claim 25 , in which the solar panel cover and the frame are covered with a non-stick translucent material. 
     
     
         52 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , in which the solar panel is mounted horizontally. 
     
     
         53 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , is mounted on motor vehicles such as trucks, cars, motorcycles, recreational vehicles and the like. 
     
     
         54 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , is integrated into the body of, or mounted on trains, buses, subway cars, or motor vehicles such as trucks, cars, motorcycles, recreational vehicles and the like; whereby one or more of the energy transfer members together with one or more of the sensors may be implemented to permit winter precipitation removal. 
     
     
         55 . The solar panel, according to  claim 1 , is adaptable to other photovoltaic configurations such as an integrated dual pane assembly having a top pane of conductive glass and a bottom pane of photovoltaic glass, and an integrated assembly in which the conductive and photovoltaic glasses are integrated into a laminate, and wherein photovoltaic capability is integrated into conventional and non-conventional building materials (in a horizontal or vertical manner) such as siding, atrium panels, greenhouse roofs, walls, decks or where solar cells are embedded in conventional or non-conventional materials and for the purpose of obtaining solar power.